The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-11-23
DR.. FULTON IN EIDDEFoRD.
He Renews His Assaults upon the
Catholic Church.
bitterness, Boycotts and Politics
Make Trouble on the saco.
A Democratic Mayor who Marched
up a hIII and Down Again.
Especial to the Press.l

Especial 10 inc freSS.l
RDDEroRp. Nov. 22.-The people of BID
deford and Saco are greatly stirred up, some
of them even TO the depths of their souls
over the circumstances that have ATTENDED
the assaults of Rev. DR.. Fulton upon the
Roman Catholic church. The events Of the
last few days have divided the city into two
hostile camps, to one or the other of which
almost every citizen has betaken himself,
either for religious or political motives. Men
who have not gone TO church for years, both
Catholics and Protestants have suddenly
fred up, and now are steaming on every cor
ner to show their loyalty to Professionalism or
Catholicism. as the case may be with EACH
At DIR. Fulton's meeting tonight the hall of
the Young Mems Christion Association was
crowded to overflowing. Protestants and
Catholics were there, the clergymen of the
evangelical denominations sat upon the
speakers platform and united with the
Protestants of Biddeford and Saco, and with
those who had come from the surrounding
country, even so far as from Dayton, in ap-
plauding DR.. Fulton's scathing denunciations
of Catholicism and the whole line of Popes'
The crowded meeting tonight, however,
showed but small part of the feeling in the
two cities, where even the boycott has been
applied as an agent of offense in the quarrel.
The small fry Democratic politicians of
Biddeford have darted into the fray. and In
the Times tonight is wise communication
from one of these local luminaries, who, with
the authority of wisdom seasoned by two
terms Of service in the city council and one
in the county Jail, informs the people Of Bid
deford that DIR. Fulton's chief mission is to
stir up strife between the Protestant Demo-
Gratis and Catholics in the two cities. The
influence of such fellows seems to have
been exerted upon Mayor Parcher, If the
different twists taken by the backbone of
that good Democrat within the last week in
dicate anything. 1t is said that the local
Democratic bosses. not liking the way DIR.
Fulton was talking about some Of their
friends, went to Mayor Parcher to see II
some way could not be devised for shutting
Fulton up" Whether this is true or not, it
is certain that when, ,.on the morning after
the Thursday nights riot. Mr.. j. r. Libby
and Mr.. j. r. Fairfield called on the Mayor
to demonstrate against the denial of the right
of free speech in Biddeford, that worthy
said he had been hunting for some law by
which he could stop Dr. Fulton from speak
ing, and Furthermore that he (His Honor
the Mayor would like to hire man to "kick
Fulton out of town." This speech was not
long in getting round among ''the boys"
and the result was that when Dr. Fulton at
tempted to go home after his lecture on Fri
day night the Biddeford police had riot ON
their hands. DR.. Fulton was stopping at the
home of Rev. F. w. Farr, some distance
from the Y. M. c. A. Hall. Police and dep
uty sheriffs attempted to escort Ihim thither,
but when they got as far as the home of Mr..
]. w. Fairfield the crowd of angry Catholics
had grown so clamerous and menacing that
deemed best to give DR.. Fulton refuge there.
To the credit of the police force of Bidde-
ford it is to be said that, though half or more
of the men on duty that night were Catho-
lies, they stood up and fought the crowd
manfully. Had the Mayor been as manfui
ON the side of law and order the AFFAIR OF
Friday night would not have taken place.
As to the vigor of the mob's attack Friday
night different accounts disagree: DR.. Full
toms friends, however. have bar of solid
lead, weighing two pounds or more that was
thrown onto Mr.. Fairfeld's veranda, but hap
PLY did not hit DR.. Fulton.
The affair of Friday night marks the first
stage of the troubles, when Mayor Parcher
and the smallfry politicians tried to shut
up Fulton" in order to keep the foreign and
Catholic wing Of the party, wing which,
by the way, is bigger than the whole of the
rest of the Democratic bird in Biddeford, in
good humor; or, as the politician of expert
ence in the city council and county jail
would express it, to keep the Protestant
Democrats and Catholics from splitting up.
The second stage begins when the Protest
ants, especially the Protestant clergymen,
began to get in earnest and determined that
there should be free speech in Biddeford,
mayor or no mayor DR.. Fulton had to go to
Boston to lecture Saturday, but the clergy,
men and others determined that he should
come back the first of this week.
On Sunday the Rev. Theodore Gerrlsh
preached from his pulpit in the Methodist
Church a sermon, taking for his subject:
Down Grade; or, has Protestant minister
a right to speak in Biddeford?" The day
Gerrish oxonerated the Catholic clergy, say
ing that he did not believe they were stir
ring up the trouble. The audience greeted
the sermon with round after round Of ap-
plause.
That same day Father Harrington told mis-
Irish congregation to keep away from the
meetings and not disturb them. Father Du-
pont gave the French Canadian Catholics
the same excellent advics. This undoubt-
edly has had much to do with the good order
But the bottom was dropping out OF Mayor
Parcher's position. He found that he had
sowed the wind to reap the. whirlwind. So
when DR.. Fulton came back yesterday, the
Mayor, instead of hiring some one to kick
him out of town, had most friendly inter-
view with him. Last night, after the lecture.
Mayor Parcher even became so attentive as
to walk home with DIR. Fulton. Tonight
the Mayor was not doing escort duty, but
two deputy sheriffs walked home with DR..
Eu1 xub ho 1a0Iioa liant the gfrQafq
clear Of all crowds Anyone seen lettering
near the Y. M. G. A. Hall was ordered to
move on at once.
Things are not so peaceful in Biddeford as
they seem, however. There is order, and 1t
does not seem probable that there VIII be
any more disturbance. But the Catholics
feel much abused. They have gone so far as
to boycott Mr.. j. r. Libby, who has been
prominent defender Of DR.. Fulton's right to
speak. He has the largest dry goods store
in the city. and has had many Catholic Gus
toners. Tonight Dr. Fulton referred to the
boycott, and the audience loudly applauded
when he told them to stand by the man who
stood by free speech.
Tonight DR.. Fulton lectured on the sub
ject, sIs R0manism good enough for Roman
ists?" Tomorrow night he will talk on
"The Huguenots, their Folly and their Fall' !;
on Thursday on "McGlynn iUnfrocked, and
What" and on Friday on witnessing for
the Truth, or the Overthrow Of Papacy,"
Il AZ
he is both an able and fearless speaker.
He also evidently has the sympathy and CO.
operation of large number of the best Pro-
testant people of Biddeford and Saco in
Guiding nearly all the clergymen. One of the
ablest and most respected clergymen of the
city said tonight that he was doing grand
work here in awakening the people to real
ization of the perils menacing the country
from Romanism. But it does not seem pos
sibie that a fair-minded Protestant could
have heard DR.. Fulton tonight without feel
ing that some of his attacks were abusive
no conscientious Catholic, of whom there
were probably few among the roughs that
remarks would be reason for excusable exas-
peration. The scandalous crimes and i'm
moralities of the medieval Popes, for in
stance, were paraded in way that left the
impression that the speaker laid like offences
TO the church of today, Much of his address,
however, was in spirit of greater fairness,
and suited to serve his purpose of winning